Head for automatic train pipe connecters



Dec. 15, 1931. M A BARBER 1,837,009

HEAD FOR AUTOMATIC TRAIN PIPE CONNECTERS Filed June 1' 1929 Patented Dec. 15, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

MARTIN A. 3mm, or cmivmzm, omo, ASSIGNOR T0 coNso'LrnA'rEn oomc'roa PATENT CORPORATION, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE V mn ron A'U'rom'rm mm PIPE OQNNECTEBS Application filed June 17,

corresponding ring and pro ectlon on acoacting head. In connecters of this tpye, thereis a likelihood of the ring being bent if the coacting projection should forcibly strike it while the cars are being coupled on a curve.

10 Furthermore, there is a likelihood of the heads being jammed together in improper locking position, if one head is appreciably lower than another, as the usual bearing lug on the projection is apt to be caught be 15 hind the wall of the coacting ring. A further difliculty which has been encountered has been the fact that the connecterheads are apt to slip past each other on the ring side if the car couplers should fail to couple under extreme conditions of track vcurvature.

The principal object of the present invention is to minimize the possibility of failure of the heads to lock in. the proper position, and to reinforce the ring construction so as to strengthen the head. A further object of this invention is to facilitate withdrawal of the heads to normal position in the event that, the heads should slip past each other on the heads; Fig. 3 isafront elevation of a con necter head embodying my invention and Fig. 4 is a section through the head on'line H in Fig. 3. w

The automatic train pipe connecters, which I have illustrated are supported from brackets 10, which are arranged to be carried by and to depend from the usual car couplers.

Each. connecter has a head 11 from which 7 a shank 12 extends rearwardly and is con- 1929. Serial No. 371,651.

nected to the associated bracket by a universal j ointindicated in general at 13. A spring 14 surrounds the shank and normally our es the headfforwardly of the" bracket. Eac head is also shown as having a projection 15 and a ring 16, whichare intended to cooperate with a corresponding ring and proj ection on a coacting head. Such projection and ring are mounted on opposite sides of the axis .of the projection while ports- 17, 18 and 19 are positioned on a vertical line between the head and ring for the v air signal, air brake and steam conduits respectively. Bearing In S 20 and 21 are mounted on the projection an are intended to engage the face 22 of the ring whenthe heads are coupled.

To expedite andfaci itate couplin of the heads in theproper manner, I provi e aninclined guideway which extends from the head to the'outer part of the ring. Suchguideway, in the form illustrated, comprises aweb 25,. which extends transversely of the head at the forward end of the shank, and branch webs 26 which extend from the web 25 13011118 corners 27 of thering. Thus the webs 26 extend obliquely to the axis of the projection and provide an inclined guideway against which the nose of the projection on a coacting head may engage during the coupling oper? ation. By utilizing a plurality of spaced guideways, the possibility of the head being jammed into any of the openings is'minimized, as the guideways will deflect the head into proper coupling position. ,A. further advantage of the: guideway, which I' have illustrated is the fact that it"serves as a reinforcement for the ring and also serves to transmit working stressesdirectly tothe head while retaining theadvantages of an open rln =13?) facilitate withdrawalof the heads to the normal position in. case the heads should pass each other on the ring side, I have shown the rear edges of the arms 26 as'extending to inclined surface and thus avoid theossibility of one ring binding behind another in case the connecters slide past each other, during the coupling operation on extreme conditions of track curvature.

I claim: H

1. An automatic train pipe connecter head, having a projection and ring disposed on opposite sides of theconnecter axis, and a Weblike inclined guideway disposed between the top and bottom walls of the ring opening and extending from the outer wall of the ring to the head. j

2. In an automatic train pipe connecter, the combination with a connecter head hav ing a projection and a ring disposed on opposite sides of the midportion of the connecter, of a web extending from the head and across substantially the midportion of the ring to the outer wall of the ring, said web being inclined to the meeting face of the connecter and cooperating with the projection of a coacting head to guide it into proper coupling position.

3. An automatic train pipe connecter head having, in combination, a projection, a ring and a narrow strut having a portion thereof extendingacross the midportion of the'ring opening and providing a guideway for the projection of a coacting head. H

' 4. In an automatic train pipe connector, the combination with a connecter head having a projection and a ring disposed on oppo 1 site sides of the midportion of the head,there being spaced arms extending across the ring opening, and obliquely to the plane of the meeting face of the head, said arms cooperating with the ring, to provide a tunnel for guiding. a coacting head into proper coupling position. I

5. In an automatic'train pipe connecter, the combination of a connecter having a projection and a ring, disposed on opposite sides ofthe' midportion thereof, and ribs associated with the ring and extending diagonally fromthe head and across the ring opening between the top and bottom walls thereof, saidribs cooperating with the ring to guide the projection of a coacting head into proper coupling position.

6. An automatic train pipe connecter head having in combination, a projection and a ring "disposed on opposite sides-of the midportion thereof, aribbed Web extending laterally of the head and adjacent the axis thereof, and means connecting the web to spaced points on the ring. a

having in combination, a projection and a ring, adaptedto cooperatewith a correspondingrring and projection on a mating head, there being arms extending across the ring opening and converging to a point located in a. plane rearwardly of the ring, said arms cooperating with the ring toform a funnel 7. An automatic train pipe connecter head,

signature.

MARTIN A. BARBER. 

